Reduced instruction set computers (RISCs) are used in a variety of computing applications. For example, MIPS Technologies, Inc. (Mountain View, Calif.) offers a number of RISC architectures, cores and associated software tools. Details regarding these products are available at www.mips.com. As another example, Tensilica Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif.) offers a family of processor cores called Xtensa that are used in various networking applications. Details regarding these devices are available at www.tensilica.com/markets/networking.htm.
One exemplary application of RISC processors is in network interface cards (NICs) that perform protocol processing functions for a host computer. Such NIC devices may relieve the host CPU of processing network layer (Layer 3) protocols, such as the Internet Protocol (IP), and transport layer (Layer 4) protocols, such as the Transport Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP), as well as protocols in Layers 5 and above.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.